Shaft-holder.



No. 774,416. PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904. W. DIOKIE.

SHAFT HOLDER.

APPLIOATIOH FILED NOV. 27, 1903.

NO MODEL.

WM); file Q Inventor,

Attorneys Wnnesses UNTTE STATES Patented November 8, 1904.

PATENT @rrrcn.

SHAFT-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,416 dated. November 8, 1904.

Application filed November 27, 1903. Serial No. 182,704. (No model.)

To all 1.0720177, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM DIGKIE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Campbellton, county of Restigouche, in the Province of New Brunswick, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft-Holders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact de: scription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

M y invention relates to shaft-holders which form a part of the harnesses used in connection with vehicles and through which the shafts of the vehicle pass.

The object of the invention is to produce a shaft holder or eye of improved construction which is formed with a special view for facilitating the insertion and removal of aliner or sleeve within the same. This liner is expected to be made of leather or similar material, so that the shafts are supported without being brought into contact with the metal of the eye.

T he invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and definitely set forth in the claim.

In the drawings, which fully illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion of the harness to which my invention has been applied. Fig. 2. is also a side elevation showing a short portion of a shaft supported by the holder, the holder being shown disconnected from the other portions of the harness. This view is upon an enlarged scale, as will appear. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section of the holder. Fig. 4: is a perspective showing the eye. Fig. 5 is a perspective showing the liner which is received by the eye, as stated above. Fig. 6 is an elevation of a portion of the holder, viewing the same from the side adjacent to the horse.

Throughout the drawings and specification the same numerals of reference denote like parts.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the saddle of a harness, from the upper portion of which depend the holderstraps 2, which are disposed, respectively, at each side of the horse, as shown. To these straps the holder 3 is attached in a manner which will appear more fully hereinafter, and through the holder the shafts 4: pass in the usual manner. The holder comprises an eye 5, which is elongated in a vertical direction and preferably of substantially the form shown, being enlarged at its lower portion. This eye is preferably composed of metal and, as indicated, is formed, as it were, of a continuous band or flat member. On that side which will lie adjacent to the horse the central portion of the body of the eye is cut away or formed with a slot 6, which passes completely through the metal, as shown. On the opposite side a similar slot? is formed, which is not so extensive as the slot 6. In this manner an unmutilated portion 8 is left, at which point an integral eye 9 is formed for the purpose of attaching a bellystrap 9, as will appear. The said slot 7 extends to a point adjacent to the upper part of the eye, but it is not continuous, as shown, its continuity being interrupted by a bridge or web 10, which extends across the same at substantially its middle point. At its upper portion the slot 7 communicates with an opening 11 of enlarged width, and from an inspection of Fig. 4 it will appear that the material at the sides of the slot- 7 adjacent to this point ends abruptly,so as to constitute a pair of oppositely-disposed tongues or flanges 12, as shown, and it will appear that the outer faces 13 of these tongues are inclined or tapered in such a manner that the said tongues 12 are of reduced thickness towardv their extremities. Just below this point an integral eye lt is formed, which eye is of elongated rectangular form, as shown, connecting with the eye 5 at its edges and adapted to receive the extremity of the holder-strap 2, as indicated in Fig. 3. I

Between the upper portions of the openings 6 and 11 a bridge or bar 15 is formed, and it will appear from Fig. 6 that the upper portion of the opening 6 is of enlarged width, as indicated at 16, so that the openings at each side of the said bar 15 are of substantially the same Width. This bar 15 is instrumental in attaching the buckle 17, which buckle is attached to the eye by means of a short leather strap 18, passing through the openings 11 and 16 in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. The body 19 of this strap lies against the outer face of the eye, passing through the elongated eye 14:, as shown, its lower extremity being attached at the bridge or bar 10 by means of a rivet 20, as indicated. At its upper portion this strap is formed into a loop passing around the shank of the buckle, as shown. As shown, the extremity of this strap is out along an inclined line, so as to rest upon the aforesaid faces 13 of the tongues 12. Vithin the eye 5 aforesaid there is placed a liner or sleeve 21, preferably formed of leather. Its construction is most clearly shown in Fig. 3, where it will appear that it consists of a continuous strap of leather,the ends being united, so that it forms a loop or sleeve. When this sleeve is formed of rubber, as it may be sometimes, it may be made of a continuous piece, and there would be no seam, of course, in that instance. Upon one of its outer faces it is provided with a rib 22, and upon its opposite side it is provided with similar ribs 23 and. 24. It should be understood that this sleeve or liner is intended to be compressed sufficiently to enable it to be passed into the metal eye 5 and properly positioned therein in such a manner that the aforesaid rib 22 will lie in the slot or opening 6 and so that the ribs 23 and 24 will lie respectively in the lower and upper portions of the sleeve or opening 7, as will be readily understood. It will be seen that the outer face of the rib 24 tapers at its upper portion, as indicated at 25, so that its surface conforms to the elevation of the faces 13 of the tongues 12, between which it lies. In this manner the rib 24E forms a backing at this part behind the rivet 26, which rivet connects the portions of the strap 18, so as to form a loop for the buckle, as will appear. The ribs 22, 23, and 2 1 may be attached to vmaw the body of the sleeve 21 by sewing, as will be readily understood.

It should be evident that in the manner described a very neat shaft-holder is formed, and it should appear that the sleeve 21 may be quickly removed and another sleeve inserted when the same has become badly worn.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise form shown, for many of the details may be changed in form or position without affecting the operativeness or utility of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make all such modifications as are included within the scope of the following claim or of mechanical equivalents to the structures set forth.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

In a shaft-holder, in combination, an elongated metallic eye having elongated openings in the wall thereof, the upper extremities whereof lie adjacent to each other, a bar between said openings and integral with said eye at the upper portion thereof, the upper portion of one of said openings having an enlargement adjacent to said bar whereby oppositely-disposed tongues are formed projecting toward said enlargement, a strap passing about said bar and supported by said tongues, means for attaching said strap to the body of said metallic eye, a buckle carried by said strap, and a smaller integral eye at the lower portion of said first eye and adapted to receive the belly-strap.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM DIGKIE. in. s]

\Vitnesses:

F. F. MATHEsoN, JOHN DUNCAN. 

